|
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
|
|
last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
|
|
|
Nov 24, 2020 8:30:55 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Nov 24, 2020 8:30:55 GMT -7
The two druids were dizzyingly high off the ground by this point, but Aidan wasn’t fazed by the distance between his branch and the ground. It wasn’t even because he had his staff with him, and having magic right at your fingertips removed an element of fear from most otherwise dangerous situations. Rather, it was because he’d been climbing trees since he could walk, and had spent so much of his childhood in the Wildwood – following creatures around, crawling into small spaces and climbing trees to the top of the canopy as necessary for long periods of time. His family home was nearby as well, and his and his sister’s rooms were nestled in the treetops, so climbing had been a necessary component of their day every day for as long as he could remember.
So Aidan didn’t even bother looking down as he adjusted his footing on the branch and leaned on the trunk to get a better view, staff thrown over his shoulders casually as he used only one arm as the point of contact between him and the tree. He could easily see Fiona, perched lightly on a branch a couple above him, and beyond her the bowtruckle, which looked more curious than anything else at this point at the two humans climbing the tree to be with him. The earlier conversation about Hogwarts and Hogsmeade had dimmed his mood a little – he couldn’t help his homesickness, which actually seemed to get worse instead of improving whenever he came to Hy-Brasil for short visits. A reminder of the community he was temporarily separated from, he guessed.
But the reminder that the druid students would be coming in the spring for their OWLs and NEWTs cheered him up – it was true that soon enough Hogsmeade would be teeming to the brink with druids, and Aidan would have plenty of opportunities to speak Brasilic and hear about gossip from home. And Fiona’s promise that she would come visit him in the spring to see the reserve was exciting news! She hadn’t been part of the group that had visited last year, which made sense, and the year before Aidan had himself gone to Hogwarts to take his NEWTs. So it’d be his first opportunity to show off a little for somebody from back home. He missed Hy-Brasil, but he also took pride in what he did. “It’ll be the best tour of your life,” Aidan promised happily. She’d matched her words with a kind smile and it did a lot to lift his spirits.
Fiona mentioned her sister, and Aidan hummed as he considered what he knew about the Silentflower twins. The community on Hy-Brasil was small, so all the families knew and bargained with each other to some extent. The gemini twins were close, also not an unusual occurrence for druid siblings, since they typically came from small families. A monkey animagus would definitely have been helpful in this situation, although Aidan was quite proud to notice that he and Fiona were doing just fine without. But it still brought up the question. “Where is Freya, anyway? Unless…is she here too? Is she hiding?” Aidan instinctively glanced across the treetops for any signs of a small monkey, although no immediate movements caught his attention. He frowned a little confusedly – it was weird to see the twins apart, and yet here they were.
He didn’t concern himself much with the details, though, so he quickly forgot about his own question as he caught sight of the bowtruckle a few branches up. Oh right, that’s why we started climbing the tree! Fiona gave him permission to climb up using her best impression of one of the Elders, and Aidan couldn’t help but laugh as he quickly grabbed hold of the next branch and pulled himself up. “They do sound like that,” he agreed jokingly as he thought about the Elders he knew, either personally or by reputation. His grandmother certainly had a very important air about her, like she knew she was at the top of Druid society, although that never seemed to affect her willingness to engage with any druids. Just non-druids.
Aidan quickly scaled one branch, then another, until he finally ended up above Fiona and on the same branch as the bowtruckle. “Hey there,” he said gently as he took out some woodlice again and tried offering it for the creature to examine. Maybe somewhat predictably, it snatched the wood lice and hurried back a few steps to stuff its face. That was fine, he was in no rush. “What do you think, Root? Should we let her climb up and say hi?” Aidan lowered to his stomach on his branch and let his head hang as he peered at Fiona sitting on the branch directly below. “She is nice, even if she likes to tease.” Aidan smiled mischievously at her.
@fiona
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 6, 2024 15:37:27 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 25, 2020 17:26:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 17:26:08 GMT -7
Fiona loved to climb trees. Heights had never bothered her. Trees, rocks, Dragon Tooth, she liked to climb. If she wanted to climb, she did. If she wanted to climb a tree that didn't have any low hanging branches, she could easily use her weasel claws to get to the lowest branch, much like she had done earlier. There was something about being high up and cocooned by leaves and branches. It was warm, and safe. She never feared falling. Like most druids, Fiona grew up with free range of the island. She played in dragon nests shortly after she could walk, and was climbing trees as soon as she could reach any weight bearing branches. The Wildwoods felt as much like home then her own room did.
The girl looked down at Aidan knowing that he could climb as expertly as she did, and occasionally looked up to see the small green bowtruckle watching the happenings. She gave the creature some friendly coos, to tell it that everything would be alright.
Fiona couldn't ever imagine living anywhere else. She knew that some left. Everyone had their reasons for leaving. Some out of curiosity, others for work experience, and some just needed to get away. But she could never see herself leaving. She had to in the spring though, it was required for each druid student to take their official OWL and NEWT exams at Hogwarts. She found soles in their forest and the fact that once the exams were done for the day, she could leave the dreadfully gloomy castle. And she would take full advantage of Aidan's position and visit him at his work. It would help her, being around magical creatures, and him by her bringing him reminders of home. “It’ll be the best tour of your life,” She would hold him to that promise, but she could also tell how happy the boy was with the promise of her coming. She'd offer to bring her sister, but she'd have to see. The two twins together didn't have the best reputation. The girls never broke any rules, but that didn't mean that they were angels.
Being born under the astrological sign of Gemini, the girls were destined to be the same, and opposite. Fiona was often seen as the calmer twin, Freya was not. Together they were a force to be reckoned with. Apart, many would prefer to deal with Fiona alone than her sister, it was a known fact. But while they did have their differences, they also had plenty of similarities. People asking where the her sister was, wasn't a new for the girl. She gave a chuckle "Nah her red fur would stand out too much, she's not around here. She's either selling to gullible tourists, learning more about priestess rituals, or terrorizing someone." She was fairly confident on all those options. While the girls spent plenty of time together, there was also times that they did spend apart.
After giving the boy permission, he started to climb up to meet her. “They do sound like that,” She was glad that he cough her impersonation and laughed. Others wouldn't be so pleased. To that, she would happily state that there was no rule breaking involved. The boy climbed quickly up, until he was one above where she was, on the same branch as their little friend. He gave the small creature a little snack. She smiled as he spoke to the creature about her. “She is nice, even if she likes to tease.” She smiled, but also pulled a playfully upset face at the boy as he gave her a mischievous look. "I promise I'll play nice" She said raising both hands in mock surrender.
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
|
|
|
|
|
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
|
|
last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
|
|
|
Nov 29, 2020 8:22:41 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Nov 29, 2020 8:22:41 GMT -7
Aidan had dropped to his stomach on the branch to get a better look at Fiona as they exchanged conversation and friendly jabs at each other, and he twisted now until he was on his back and staring up at the canopy. If he tilted his head back, he could catch sight of the bowtruckle, which looked significantly less agitated now that it wasn’t alone in the tree. If he looked straight up, then he could watch how the branches of trees twisted together above him, blocking out most of the sunlight but letting stray rays of light in through breaks in the leafy branches. The way the light reflected off the leaves was hypnotizingly beautiful and he admired it above him.
He couldn’t see Fiona anymore, but he could still hear her as she explained that Freya wasn’t around and that she’d be easy to see if she was. The majority of druids on the island were redheads, Aidan and his family included, and that tended to translate into their animagus forms as well. He also had red fur as a dog, which usually ruled out stealth missions or anything that required hiding. That suited him well, though, since Aidan couldn’t imagine ever needing to sneak around anywhere, and he rather liked how eye-catching red fur could look. Still, the thought that he’d probably be able to see Freya coming from a mile away was relieving, if only because he didn’t quite trust her with his back turned. It was true what he’d said – the girls were both nice – but they had a tendency to make mischief and play pranks, especially when they were together. And Aidan had no good sense of caution, so it was always easy to trick him.
“At least it’s not me this time,” Aidan said, relief heavy in his tone as Fiona mentioned Freya might be off terrorizing someone. The thought that he might be a target again sometime soon equally alarmed and amused him, and he laughed at himself even if he didn’t say the thought out-loud. Instead, he tilted his head back and made another playful face at the bowtruckle, which had started to inch closer to him as the two druids talked. Aidan flipped back onto his stomach and reached out a hand in invitation, beaming excitedly when the bowtruckle finally warmed up to him enough to hop on. He slowly retracted his arm and propped himself up on his elbows as he smoothed a finger over the bowtruckle’s leafy head in a wordless greeting. His smile widened when it closed its eyes happily at the treatment, and he cocked his head thoughtfully before asking Fiona (although he didn't take his eyes off the bowtruckle), "And do you want to be a priestess too?" Aidan had always known he was going to work with magical creatures, even if the majority of his family stuck to Herbology and farming. But he knew some families were more strict about staying in the family business, while others had rigid ideas about sending their children away or keeping them close.
Fiona’s promise to play nice made him laugh as he peeked over the edge of the branch again to see the face she’d made. He sat up and cradled the bowtruckle close to his chest as he swung his legs over the side of the branch. “Well alright, you have Root’s approval,” he finally answered cheerfully, returning both hands to Root after the bowtruckle began to complain when he stopped receiving gentle pats. “Because I can take all your abuse, you know, being the strong and silent druid that I am,” he joked, “but Root is more delicate.” If anything, bowtruckles had a very playful nature and Aidan had always had a sensitive disposition. But he knew Fiona had a very easygoing and calm manner, and he’d seen the little coos and looks she’d been shooting the bowtruckle since they started climbing the tree. So obviously he could handle the occasional jab, and returning to Hy-Brasil always brought out that willingness to joke. Humor in another language was very difficult, after all, so Aidan hadn’t quite mastered it in English yet.
While he waited for her to climb up, or potentially throw something at him if she was so inclined, Aidan began to look over the bowtruckle for signs of illness or injury, following the steps for a traditional examination. He’d conducted plenty over his lifetime in Hy-Brasil, but since starting to work at the reserve had learned officially that there were a number of things to check and a certain flow to the process. He wasn’t quite the kind of apprentice that followed every instruction to the letter, so he tended to do things out of order, but that didn’t matter much to him as long as he was satisfied at the end. The caretakers at the reserve did things differently than the druids of Hy-Brasil when it came to the care of magical creatures, that much was for sure, but this was one change that Aidan didn’t mind. After feeling the sharpness of the bowtruckle’s claws (for lack of a better word), he was satisfied that Root was fine, at least physically. Sensing that Fiona would come up soon, Aidan scooted along down the branch so she’d have room to sit, although he kept Root close.
@fiona
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 6, 2024 15:37:27 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 29, 2020 11:04:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2020 11:04:08 GMT -7
The beauties of nature were around all of them. Some visitors who stayed for a longer time seemed to grow accustom to their surroundings, taking the wonders for granted. But even though Fiona had lived her entire life here, her connection to nature always helped her see the wonders. How creatures built their nest, how every tree was unique. The coming and going of the seasons, seeing the forest grow and change as time did. She saw nesting and young creatures, she also watched many grow and learn how to do what came naturally to the adults. The wonders never sensed.
She explained why her sister wasn't around, and where the girl was most likely to be found. Fiona was so used to red hair of all colors, that when she went to Hogwarts for her OWL's she was surprised to see such a diversity, with the majority brunette. In fact, their ginger hair seemed to be rare outside of their island. Often times this color translated into their animagus forms. Her sister's monkey form matching the color of her natural hair. Fiona was a little different. Her weasel form did have a red-ish tint to it, but was mostly brown in color.
Light filtered through the canopy above and she listened to the rustling leaves and the wind blew through them. The light danced all around her. Aidan shifted so that he looked up rather then down. Turning your back on someone was, in some ways, a sign of trust. But to Fiona it only gave her tempting thoughts. As stealthy as Demiguise, and as slow as a muggle sloth, she moved, careful to not make a sound, cautious of her own breathing. “At least it’s not me this time,” He said as she creeped, not making much progress due to the patient pace she was going. Many were cautious around her sister, she was better known to terrorize those around her. Fiona was aware that she was often considered the "safer" or "calmer" twin. Her tactics on pranking and causing trouble usually followed what her sister wanted to do. But Fiona had a impish side. She preferred a soft, understated attitude when it came to pranking and causing mischief. If someone was unaware that they were being toyed with, they were more likely to stick around. She played innocent and oblivious well.
Fiona didn't know what she would do, she knew that the boy could be quite skittish, and she didn't want him falling off the tree, after such an adventure, but still she creeped. She paused as the boy moved back to his stomach, though his eyes were clearly on the bowtruckle.
"And do you want to be a priestess too?" Many druids thought that because the Gemini Twins were so similar, that they often wanted the same things. Fiona shook her head, even though she knew that the boy wasn't looking. He had finally gotten what he wanted, a closer look at the tiny green creature "No, that's Frey's dream. I'm happy just creating things." The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to make trinkets and jewelry for others.
She promised to play nice and as he looked, she gave an innocent smile, better her eyes. She was slightly closer to them, but nonetheless. “Well alright, you have Root’s approval,” he had said and she then climbed the rest of the way, as he continued to talk. "Thank you Root" She said, as she grabbed the branch that they were on. "I wouldn't call what I do as abuse. Just good fun. And I never prank creatures. Just Druids and stupid visitors." Really, in her opinion, people asked for it. She felt the spirit of the creatures and treated them accordingly. She pulled herself up and sat next to Aidan.
Straddling the tree, facing the boy, she watched him look over the creatures. She knew that he always loved creatures, and had left to learn more about taking care of them. From his look, he had learned a lot so far. "How's he looking?" she asked. She only knew basics, like spotting outward injuries, and how to help them with broken limbs. It was just something that she felt she needed to know. If she saw a creature in need, was she just going to search the island in hope of finding someone who regularly helped creatures? No, she was going to do what he could in the moment, maybe even bring them home for some special care while they healed.
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
|
|
|
|
|
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
|
|
last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
|
|
|
Dec 18, 2020 5:44:38 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Dec 18, 2020 5:44:38 GMT -7
Aidan brought the hand holding the bowtruckle closer to his ear so he could listen to its breathing, making sure that the flow of air was smooth and unimpeded by sounds of congestion. Not too close, though, since he’d been very young when he learned that a certain amount of distance was needed when it came to bowtruckles, or else they’d get the wrong idea. There might be spells that could accomplish the same task, but Aidan found mainlander attitudes towards magic contradictory and confusing.
On the one hand, they used magic for everything. Since arriving at the reserve, Aidan had seen spells used to diagnose creatures, keep the different holding areas clean, and accomplish any other task that needed doing. They didn’t seem to understand Aidan’s impulse to check the creatures himself, and use natural remedies unless the situation really called for something else. But then other wizards had such rigid ideas about how magic should be used. They were taught to use wands, and not other conduits or even no conduit at all. And they placed strict restrictions on their children so they couldn’t perform underage magic, even though using magic was the best way to learn how to handle it. So Aidan got weird looks at the reserve when he preferred to use his staff, or magical plants, or perform any sort of wandless magic (which he did quite often, since he didn’t like restricting himself to the use of one tool).
He smiled as Fiona said she ‘just’ liked to create things. “Would you make something for me?” he asked eagerly. He supposed if Fiona and Freya were catering to non-druid visitors, they must want money (which he did get every month from the reserve), but Aidan’s face brightened as a new thought occurred to him. “I visited the Merfolk settlement last time I was here! They gave me some pearls.” He liked visiting the merfolk, and ironically could speak Mermish better than English. Oh well. Either way he didn’t mind bartering with the pearls, because what else would he use them for?
Fiona’s observation about stupid visitors earned an approving nod from Aidan. Not so much because he thought they were stupid for being pranked, but mostly because they willingly chose a bizarre way of life. And that he didn’t get at all. “Does Fae know? That you sell things to the visitors?” Aidan clarified after a beat, when he realized his first question was super vague. It wasn’t such a big deal to refer to the High Druid so casually – they were a small community where everybody knew everybody, and Aidan had run into Fae before to chat. She was nice, although she’d been a little down since the collapse of the barrier. Aidan was already planning some small gifts for her and the Council, though. Just a small pick-me-up.
“He’s perfect,” Aidan said brightly about the bowtruckle. He hadn’t even gotten a hint of a cold from Root, much less a physical problem. “You are perfect, aren’t you?” he directed the question at Root this time, stroking the bowtruckle’s head one more time before holding him out to Fiona. “See for yourself Fee!”
@fiona
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 6, 2024 15:37:27 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2020 16:37:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2020 16:37:05 GMT -7
Fiona's true passion lied in creating things. She loved it. True, her and her sister profited from selling the trinkets to gullible visitors. But that was Freya's job now. Fiona created, and the more she did, the more inventive she felt. “Would you make something for me?” She gave a happy nod. While making trinkets to sell was fun, she really enjoyed making things for Druids. Normally she would ask for a trade, but Aiden was a good friend. And he already said that he would show her around the reserve when she was next at Hogwarts. "I'd love to make something for you. Want anything specific?" She asked, he then brought up the Merfolk. Fiona loved to go swimming and see them when it wasn't too cold in the water. Now, she wasn't going to ask for anything, but then he brought up the pearls. "Are you purposing a trade?" She would never say no to more materials, and pearls would definitely up the quality of some of her regular crafts.
Fiona laughed. "Oh she knows." The twins always made a point to get in the girls way when she would give tours around the island. She couldn't stop them. "The beautiful thing is, it's actually not against the rules. And Fae knows that. She may not approve of it, but she can't stop us." Fiona was always one to make sure that they weren't breaking any rules. The wording was important.
She asked about the bowtruckle and Aidan said that he was doing great. She gave a sigh of relief and smiled at the small green creature in his hand. Fiona moved her hand out next to Aidan's and welcomed the creature into her own hand. She didn't know much about creature healing, but she could see that nothing appeared to be wrong. She stroked the small creature and cooed at it "You are doing great, just got a little scared from the big bad barrier going down, didn't you?"
After some "loving" on the creature, Fiona smiled at Aidan "You know, we have a number of Pogerbins at our farm if you want to check up on them."
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
|
|
|
|
|
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
|
|
last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
|
|
|
Dec 29, 2020 4:39:20 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Dec 29, 2020 4:39:20 GMT -7
Fiona asked him if he wanted anything specific, and Aidan scrunched his face up in concentration as he thought over the question hard. He’d never seen anything that Fiona had made, as far as he was aware, although getting a good look at the rocks earlier had given him a clue as to the type of things she liked to use. But in the end, Aidan really wasn’t picky and he knew he’d like anything she made for him. “Nah,” he finally said with a decisive nod, then he shot a smile at her. “Surprise me?” He trusted her judgment on what to make, and that would just make the final reveal a lot more exciting. He didn’t respond when she asked if he was suggesting a trade, and just gave a goofy shrug instead. That was what druids did, right? He’d accompanied his father dozens of times to watch him barter for goods with other druids.
“Huh,” Aidan thought out-loud as he considered the fact that Fae knew but couldn’t stop these sorts of trades. There were plenty of rules in Hy-Brasil when it came to foreign visitors and how they needed to behave here, but it was still a surprising thought that there weren’t any laws on this subject. Or at least any that prohibited it. He supposed the arrival of wizards from abroad to the druid island was still relatively new, at least compared to the druid community’s long memory, so maybe the Council just hadn’t figured out what exactly their policy should be. Still, Aidan didn’t want to do anything that would make Fae upset. She seemed stressed enough with all the responsibilities of High Druid. “But it doesn’t bother you that she doesn’t approve? There has to be a good reason she doesn’t like it.”
He absentmindedly handed the bowtruckle off to Fiona as he considered all the mysterious topics of the world, like what the High Druid did or didn’t like and why. But he snapped back to the conversation when Fiona mentioned pogrebins. “You have pogrebins in your farm?” he repeated, amusement lacing every word in his sentence. They were typically considered pests in the world of magical creatures, and most humans didn’t want to be around them because of their habit of injecting you with a deep despair before trying to devour you. They probably wouldn’t target druids the same way as normal humans, but still. Aidan’s family did everything they could to keep creatures away from the farmland.
That was why he found Fiona’s comment so amusing. He loved every magical creature, pogrebins included, but that didn’t necessarily mean you wanted them around your home. “How did that happen?” Aidan asked, finally giving in to the temptation to laugh at the funny thought. Still, he nodded eagerly at the thought of having more creatures to examine. He wanted to be helpful, and he also liked chatting with Fiona. So double win there. “But yes! Let’s go now. Root will be alright,” he added brightly, swinging his legs as he ran a hand over his staff. He’d probably prefer to just jump instead of taking the time to climb back down. The wonder of magic.
@fiona
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 6, 2024 15:37:27 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jan 9, 2021 16:37:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2021 16:37:59 GMT -7
Fiona gave the boy some time to think about what he wanted her to make. But in the end, he didn't seem to care too much. Deciding on “Surprise me?”. She smiled and nodded, figuring that she would make him something that reminded him of home, for when he was away for long periods of time.
Aidan seemed surprised with the twins little business. But it was completely aloud. Fiona made the artifacts herself, and Freya would sell them. True, often times her stories were less than truthful, but it was still the visitors choice to buy them. True, Fae wasn't a fan of their work, but it was fun to rattle her. She put the responsibilities on herself. Fiona shrugged at his next comment "We've been doing it long before she got the position, so why should it matter?"
Fiona took the little green creature in her hand the two went quite for a little bit, and she pet the bowtruckle. “You have pogerbins in your farm?” Nodding, Fiona smiled "Yup, Frey and I brought two home with us a couple of years ago. Given some time we had so many in our room, then we released them to the farm." She gave a shrug. They were young, who would have known that they would end up with so many. "Many still find their way into the house." Their family also dealt worth plenty of toxic and dangerous plants, so it was just normal for them at this point.
With that mention, Fiona put Root down on the branch. "Let's go." She said as she started to make her way down to the lowest branch. From there, she let herself drop gracefully to the forest floor.
Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
|
|
|
|